A Moonless Night: Kagome, the Protector!
by Puppy-Sama InuYasha
Summary: A horrifying demon is out there, with a taste for carnage. When the moon falls dark once more, and Inuyasha must face this horrifying youkai, he charges in as always. And now, when all are fighting and bloodied, it's up to Kagome to protect Inuyasha for once. But, can she do it?
1. The Demon Emerges: Faceless and Hungry

**A/N: Yes, I know what you're thinking. "ANOTHER story in the same week?!" I'm not liking the vibe of Vengeful Snow, and honestly, I have writer's block for it. People don't seem to like it, so I may just discontinue it. Sorry! Anyways, hope you like this one.**

** As you can see, it's titled like an anime episode. Hehe!**

**DISCLAIMER: I, ****Puppy-sama do NOT own Inuyasha, which belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, Shonen Sunday, and Viz Media. **

**Beat ya this time, Shippo!**

**Shippo: You ARE like Inuyasha sometimes...**

**Me: WHAT WAS THAT?! *whacks Shippo* Oh my gosh, you're right!**

**Rin-ne: Okay, now I'M in here? How many Rumiko Takahashi characters are you gonna bring into your Author's Notes?**

**Me: As many as I want. Now go eat your food like a good Shinigami.**

**Rin-ne: B-but... I can't afford food...**

**Me: I SAID TO GO EAT YOUR FOOD!**

**Lum: Er... While they fight, enjoy the story!**

**Me: HEY! THAT'S MY LINE!**

**Koga: And THAT'S usually MY line...**

**Inuyasha: Shaddup, mangy wolf!**

**Koga: Dog turd!**

**Inuyasha: Baaaaaka!**

**Koga: Baaaaaaaka!**

**Kagome: SIT! *drags Inuyasha away by the ear***

**Okay, NOW you can read. I promise.**

A woman traipsed along the old flower field as the sun was dipping into the horizon, turning orange, its light flying higher and higher as if to give a reluctant goodbye. The woman, her head down, lumbered slowly through the field, crimson blood pouring from her once-white kimono adorned with flowers. A little sparrow lay in her path, its beady eyes staring wide as it stood, paralyzed with what seemed to be fear. The woman kneeled down to the sparrow, clutched the poor feathery thing in her hand, and raised it to her mouth. A long, black tongue uncoiled from her jaws, taking the poor bird down her gullet.

* * *

Kagome sat at a table with her friends; She had bought them some fast food again, in exchange for them helping her with studies. It was well in the afternoon, just after school. She sipped at her drink absentmindedly as her pale blue eyes focused on the buildings outside the window. Something had been lost in the recesses of her mind, but she couldn't exactly recall what it was. She just knew it was important.

"Kagome? Kagome-chan?" Eri waved a hand in front of the girl's face, making her jump a little bit. "Hm?"

"Thinking about that delinquent boyfriend of yours?" Ayumi smiled a little bit, nibbling on a salty fry. She was always one for romance.

"Wha-?!" So much for remembering. '_Why must they bring up this subject all the time?' _"Uh, no, I'm just... I can't remember something. I know it's important, but I have no idea what it is..."

She ignored her friends' babbling as she looked up at the sky. It was nice and clear out. '_Definitely great for stargazing at night... Wait... The sky... Night... Inuyasha...' _Kagome bolted up from her chair, grabbing her bag quickly. "I can't believe I forgot about that!" She tore for the door, but stopped, looking at her friends' confused faces. "I have something important to go to... I'll, uh, catch up on studying later. Bye!" And off the girl went, running faster than she ever did during gym.

"Geez, that must've been something important..." Yuki commented, taking a bite from her burger.

"Yeah, I wonder what it was..." Eri looked out the window. Ayumi shrugged.*

* * *

"What took ya so long?!" yelled the angry voice of the always-agitated hanyou that Kagome had gotten so used to. "Have you forgotten about the jewel shards?!"

"I was only there three days! I **do** have a family that wants to see me, you know!" Kagome stomped her foot down.

"She didn't even get out of the well this time, and they're arguing," sighed Sango, Kirara squeaking in agreement.

"Yes, this is a much too common occurrence," Miroku nodded.

"He's such an idiot!" Shippo fumed. "He keeps yelling at Kagome!" Before they could converse any more, a loud, clear shout grabbed their attention.

"SIT, BOY!" Kagome stomped off in the direction of Kaede's village.

"It's surprising she didn't say that earlier," the little Kitsune remarked, his fluffy tawny tail flicking back and forth. "New record?"

* * *

They were already on their path, ready to travel to the next village. Kagome looked at Inuyasha, who walked on with them, calm and seemingly irritated. '_Does he not know there's a new moon tonight?' _Kagome mused in her mind, her blue eyes still gazing at the hanyou. _'Even if he did, it's not like he'd tell the others about it. Nothing ever stops him from fighting, even if he is weakened... But yet, he gets so hurt! But, I guess I owe something to him. Every time he's fought as a human since I met him, he was protecting me and others.'_

She then gazed to the sun. It was close to setting.

"Please, Inari," yelled a female voice, "come back in! You don't want to be out when the sun sets!" What seemed to be the girl's son looked up, wide eyed and confused. "Mama will be home soon, don't worry. Nee-chan will protect you." In almost three seconds flat, Miroku was at the girl's side. "What is worrying you so, miss?" One agitated Sango and Hiraikotsu to the head later, Kagome noticed something... All of the villagers were going inside.

"It's dangerous to be outside at nightfall. I'll let you stay here for tonight, and explain what happened," the girl beckoned them inside.

* * *

"Ohaguro Bettari*?" Kagome asked. The girl nodded gravely. "She only comes out at night. At first, she just walks there, traipsing along, unless someone is spotted by her. They say her face can paralyze someone with fear, and then..." she looked solemn, yet scared as she talked, "She eats them whole."

"Keh," was the voice coming from the corner. There sat Inuyasha, leaning against the wall. "Just a weak youkai," he commented, standing up and cracking his knuckles. "I can finish her off in no time."

"You don't mean to go after her, do you?" asked the girl worriedly, her brown eyes full of concern. "S-she should be out at sunset... Near the fields." The hanyou gave a short nod of understanding, walking to the straw-curtain of a door. Kagome's eyes widened. _'He doesn't know...'_' She stood up as he was about to push the straw curtain back. "I'm going too!" she declared, grabbing her bow and arrows.

"Kagome, I can handle this on my own. Stay back here," the hanyou replied with a dry, irritated voice.

"I'm coming with you, and that's final! What if this youkai has a shard?!" She huffed, determination showing clearly in her blue eyes.

"... Fine."

'_I'll tell him when we're out there...' _mused Kagome as she followed the red-robed hanyou. _'I can't let the others worry!'_

* * *

The blood-bathed woman walked through the field, as the rays of sun began to diminish. What sounded like piercing hissing emanated from her sharp-toothed mouth. "Sun... gone... Shards... close..." her voice sounded more like nails scratching on a chalkboard than an actual voice. She raised the dead bird in her hand up to the air. Her long, dirt-caked nails dug into the wound of the bird, drawing more blood out of its body. The hissing cackle pierced the air. "POWER... CLOSE!"

* * *

**A/N: I'll just leave you with that **_**lovely**_** vision in your mind. Creepy, huh? Don't worry, I won't discontinue this story. I have WAY too much inspiration.**

**ANNOTATION TIME!**

**1. I don't know who's who out of Kagome's friends. I just used what name sounded best for each. Is this correct? Headband girl: Eri Short-haired girl: Yuka Curly-haired girl: Ayume?**

**2. Yes, this is an actual demon from Japanese mythology. I'm not gonna give away exactly what she looks like, because that's the whole shocker of the story. Hehehe.**

**Any ideas? Suggestions? Revisions?**

**Puppy-sama out.**


	2. A Desperate Situation: Moon Falls Dark

**A/N: SORRYSORRYSORRYSORRY! OHYMYGOD I am so sorry! I know, I haven't updated in so long. It's just... It's almost the end of the school year, and I'm getting caught up in the end-of-the-year-with-even-more-work-than-usual hype, and it took me awhile to get it all done. Announcements will be in the ending A/N.**

**DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Inuyasha. Duh.**

* * *

"Let's get this over with, before the sun sets," Inuyasha sternly, his eyes fixed on the horizon, which was slowly turning a bright shade of orange as the sun lowered.

"You mean... You did know?" Kagome's cyan eyes widened slightly, but relief was the emotion that tackled her senses most.

"Keh. Of course I did," the hanyou huffed slightly, desperation cloaked in his voice which sounded determined. He reached his clawed hand to the sword hanging at his side, knowing that it will soon be rendered useless. "Let's go find this weak youkai and take the shards."

* * *

"Shards... coming closer..." a voice hissed among the tall grass that was wavering in the soft winds, bathed in the remaining golden light of the Sun. Rolling hisses, each one sharper than the last rolled out of a greasy-haired woman's black mouth. "With the sunset... mind will be... easy to use..." She absentmindedly stroked the limp head of a little bird with her dirty, sharp-fingernailed hand. The bird's hollow, blackened eyes stared on with a glaze building on them. "I will find youkai... with shard... and..."

Two sharp fingernails pinched each side of the tiny winged creature's neck. With an almost silent _snap_ and a twist of the woman's fingers, the poor dead creature's head ripped clean off. The hissing rolled out of the blackened lips of the woman, this time sounding more horrendous and piercing. "The Shikon no Tama... Close at last!"

* * *

"Eh? You heard that?" the gruff voice of the silvery-haired hanyou spoke, his hands firmly around the Tetsusaiga. The miko near him nodded slowly, hands trembling as she reached for her bow, and pulling an arrow out of her quiver. It took a lot of willpower not to drop her weapon as she nocked an arrow, though she had nothing to aim at.

"Show yourself already!" the hanyou yelled, desperation clutching at his loud, yet unwavering voice, which echoed about. _Tmp... tmp... tmp... _A white-cloaked figure stumbled slowly ahead, blood dripping slowly out of her kimono. Her head was down, greasy hair in front of her face.

_'Darn, I can't get a scent from her. My powers are weakening already!' _Inuyasha cursed in his mind. Kagome narrowed her eyes, studying the woman. No blood from her kimono dripped onto the ground, it just hung there, spreading through the silky fabric. A small glint shined on the woman's... face? Kagome couldn't tell what was there, but she was sure a Shikon shard was in her. She let out a shaky breath. "Inuyasha... be careful. She has a shard." Hissing sounded from the woman's direction. "I will soon have more..." She looked up, right at the miko, who immediately screamed, the sharp, sudden noise echoing. The woman hissed again. Her face, pale and white was simply blank. Only the large, black-lipped mouth with dangerous sharp teeth remained. "Kukuku... Take a look... This was... this was born from a woman's... a woman's hatred of her own face... I... now alone. Birds are good. But jewel is better." The tongue slipped out of the woman's mouth, long and snakelike, reaching closer to Kagome.

Inuyasha quickly slashed at it with Tetsusaiga, black droplets of blood leaking from the cut as the severed section writhed around, melting into the dirt. "You're sick..." he growled at the hissing youkai. "Futile..." she whispered simply, as the tongue grew back. "You have no chance..." Inuyasha growled again, his glare deepening."Don't underestimate-" FWOOSH!

Light swirled around the fang-sword briefly, leaving it rusted and small when the light diminished.

* * *

"I'm starting to get worried," Sango looked at the hanging-straw door of the hut, stroking the soft fur of Kirara, who was sleeping in the woman's lap.

"I'm sure they're fine," smiled the kindly girl who'd let them into her home, stirring the large pot of food in front of her.

"You cannot be too sure, kind woman," Miroku said sternly, but still in his usual calm tone, as he stood up. "We will at least ch-"

_THMP! THMP! _Two sharp thorns landed at the wall right in front of the monk. They were connected to... _the girl's head._* The girl chuckled. "Stay. Eat." Her hair, now down, revealed her weapon. The hair itself was barbed with sharp ends, some of the strands moving around on their own in serpent- like patterns.

Sango clutched the leather grip of her Hiraikotsu, her face becoming serious as she stood slowly. Kirara was engulfed in flame, her larger size revealed as the flames died away. Shippo scrambled behind the boy in the corner, bumping him in the process. _POOF! TMP! _Something landed in the kitsune's lap... A bucket?! He looked up at the "boy". A fake!

"Stay..." repeated the girl, chuckling. "Let Kao* bring the Jewel..." _SHK! SHK! SHK! SHK! _Four bodies lay on the ground, the sharp hair protruding from each of their arms. "You'll wake up... in the morning..." the girl said sweetly, strolling to the straw-curtain of a door, humming a little song. "Sweet dreams. Heehee!"

"KE!*" rang a hissing, disgusting voice.

The true nightmare doesn't even BEGIN there.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the short chapter! I'm still designing the characters! So, your ideas on Kao and Ke?**

**ANNOTATIONS:**

**1: Yes, this is possible in Japanese folklore. It's a Harionago, a woman with a thorned barb on each strand of hair.**

**2. Yes, the Ohugaro Bettari's name is Kao, which means, "face." Oh, the irony.**

**3: And, the Harionago's name is Ke, which means hair. Explanation for these names? Most Rumiko Takahashi names have a literal or ironic meaning.**

**Announcement?**

**I've re-entered a fandom that I haven't been in for a while. Hercules. Yes, the Disney one. I'm thinking of contributing to the dismal fanfiction section on that movie, but I don't know if anyone will read it. Just a heads up.**

**Any suggestions? I'd love them!**

**Updates on other stories coming soon!**

**Puppy-sama OUT!**


	3. Kagome's Plea, Kikyou's Journey

**A/N: WOOPWOOOPWOOPWOOPWOOP! SPEEDIER UPDATE! YAAAAY! I apologize for the lack of detail in the last two chapters. Those were... More introductory and set-up for the "real nightmare" Kagome has to endure. If ANYONE is OOC, please tell me.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not, in any way, own the InuYasha manga or anime, or any part of the companies affiliated with the series. All credit for the series goes to Rumiko Takahashi, Shonen Sunday, and Viz Media.**

* * *

Blue streaks of light floated and weaved through the trees gracefully and swiftly, seeming to be on a fixed path through the darkened land. _Chk! Chk! Chk!_ Each careful, yet rushed step made the wooden zori hit the dirt paths hard. Long red cloth swished around her legs, her hair hanging down to her backside, bobbing and waving as each step quickened. The blue streaks carried pale orbs of light, stopping their weaving pattern to drop each orb into the walking woman's chest. Bow in hand, quiver at back, her blue eyes scanned everything in front of her. The graceful streaks swirled around the woman, yet her face never changed, and her pace never wavered. She was not scared, nor was she befuddled, or even captured with wonder. Determination shone inside out, but it was only shown in her eyes. Her expression remained calm, serene, yet even sad.*

The trees soon diminished, the stars burning brightly above the woman. Soft, yet bitter wind blew with a message of trouble on its very breath. "A foreboding wind blows from the east," spoke the soft, deepened voice of the odd female. "A vague demonic aura was carried with it," she spoke once more, to no one but herself and the odd creatures (but they're probably not very good listeners). _Chk! chk! chk! _Went the wooden sandals as they hit the dirt, this time eastward bound.

* * *

"A hanyou? This must be my lucky day," hissed the sharp, piercing voice from the blank faced woman, slimy black tongue slipping slowly and snakelike out of her dry, black lips.  
"I'm still strong enough to beat you, wench!" yelled red-clothed man, black hair hanging down his back. Eyes of grey, not gold, shone hate upon the blank-faced youkai. A high-pitched wail echoed loudly, followed by cracks and hisses. The faceless woman's lips grew thinner, but her mouth extended wider, each jawbone giving a disgusting _crack. _Cyan eyes stared wide in horror as the youkai wobbled closer, her dirty feet making a soft thud in the hard-packed dirt with each step. The black serpent of flesh receded back into the fanged mouth of the woman as her smile grew wicked.

_CHNK! _Shiny, crimson blood leaked onto the light red cloth that covered the black-haired man. A thin, green thorn protruded from his shoulder, shining as blood stained it further. Another stood, sadness staining her face. Hair bobbed and weaved wildly above her, looking as if it submerged in water. Green marked each sharp tip of the shiny black hair. Her green kimono, torn and tattered hung right above scraped and bloodied knees.

"We got another one, huh?" Inuyasha scoffed, pointing the tiny, rusted and rather dull blade towards the other woman.

"I-inuyasha..." squeaked the blue-eyed teenager meekly, voice trembling, hands shaking as she struggled to keep her arrow nocked. The arrow made a tiny _tk tk tk tk tk-k-k _noise as Kagome's hands shook rather violently. "W-wasn't she... wasn't she the the woman wh-whose hut... whose hut the others are staying in?" The piercing noise shook the soft blowing wind again making even the faceless one cringe away from the source slightly.

"They're just fine..." spoke the voice of the barb-haired girl softly, yet the ringing of the piercing scream hid in the nooks and crannies of the soft tones.

"What did you do to them, you wench?!" a growling, gruff voice rang fiercely out of the human's lips.

Black, wet flesh creeped closer and closer to the red-adorned man, going unnoticed by both. The cyan eyes of the green and white clothed miko snapped quickly to the black tongue, a gasp ringing loud and clear from her lips. Before the teenage girl could find it in her fear-stung muscles to raise her bow, the fleshy serpent protruding from the faceless woman's mouth struck into the middle of Kagome's chest. With a loud thud and a loud yelp, she was knocked onto the hard dirt. Dust rose above her, the wind claiming the brown powder, sweeping it westward. The girl wheezed and coughed, trying to find the breath that wasn't there.

"Kagome!" Grey eyes widened, thick eyebrows raised, sword still in hand, he turned to the breathless schoolgirl. _SPLORRCH! SHK! SHK! SHK! _Blood dripped further from the human, in more spots than one. Three green thorns, each one larger than the last, landed themselves deep within the skin of the red-clad man. One nestled deep within the middle knuckle of the large fist that clenched itself on the rusty Tetsusaiga, two smaller thorns in the meaty edge of his collarbone, barely missing the bone. The black flesh of the blank faced woman's tongue struck

right into his back, giving a loud, disgusting SNAP!

The cyan-eyed girl tried to choke out even a scream, but she only got gasps of breath and loud coughs out as the black-haired hanyou slumped to the ground, one loud grunt of pain escaping his lips before he went silent. "I-i-i-... INUYASHA-A-A!" The girl's scream echoed louder than the hisses, louder than the yelling, louder than the piercing shrieks.

* * *

"INUYASHA-A-A!" was the echo that pierced the night with despair ringing the very edge of the desperate scream. Blue flashes and streaks billowed and weaved faster. _CHK! CHK! CHK! CHK! _Wood hit the dirt faster and faster, harder each time. White knuckles clenched themselves tighter around the linen-wrapping handle of the large, dark bow. Blue eyes that showed only calm before now boasted hint of concern. Red cloth swished faster, hair bobbed harder. Concern soon mixed with determination in the bright cyan surrounding deep black of her gentle eyes.

"Inuyasha... Have you fallen unfortunate?"

* * *

**A/N: CLIFFHANGER, MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**

**Annotations:**

**1: Can you guess who? That's right, I'm bringing Kikyou in here. Get ready for drama.**

**Well, don't get too used to the extra-speedy update, because I prolly won't update that quickly. Today was just an inspirational day.**

**Puppy-Sama OUT!**


	4. Kikyou's Trick, Kagura's Struggle

**A/N: WOOOOOOOO! 'NOTHER UPDATE! I better be thanked for this. This is the first time that I have written this many chapters on a story so quickly.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not, in any way, own Inuyasha, or any companies affiliated with it. I am a simple (obsessive) fan.**

* * *

Wind blew swiftly, yet mockingly soft, the message of trouble riding on its breath replaced with air of desperation. Arrows clinked together in the leather bundle hanging by the white of her haori, hair bobbed and swished faster, and empty her empty fist clenched harder. Eyes narrowed and brows furrowed, she stared upon the silent little village. Light from fires were absent in the empty windows of each hut, and no detail held any evidence of residents. Only a long, quiet hiss sounded through the stiffening silence, but that was all she needed to find him.

"Inuyasha... Trouble has befallen you this time. It is in my hope this isn't dire."

_Chk... chk... chk... _The sound of wood hitting the dirt sounded out once more. Blue, elegant creatures yielded, refusing to follow the woman into the darkness.

* * *

Air finally found its way into the burning lungs of the crumpled heap of a girl. Feeble as a fawn, she arose from her shock-induced stupor. She clenched her fist tighter around the wooden handle of her most trusted weapon. "You..." she spoke in a cold tone that rarely ever escaped her lips. With her arrow nocked, and proper alignment found, her shaky hands found the will to aim at the nightmares before her. _TWIP!_ The tight string snapped loudly, arrow flying straight through the air in front. Purple light gathered in a spiral of ribbons around the gleaming arrowhead, ready to vanquish the cretins in its path. _SHK!_ Sharp metal nested itself firmly in wood; the arrow had stuck in the tree behind the nightmarish creatures. Hissing sounded from both youkai. The black serpent of flesh doubled to Kagome, striking her shoulder with much strength, knocking the shock-struck girl back. Blood leaked onto the white sleeve of her arm, running quickly and dangerously.

Thorns of bright green flew into the darkened air, finding the girl as their target. One small thorn swerved oddly, grazing the flesh of the poor girl's forehead. Others headed her way at a blinding pace, looking like a pepper of bullets in her eyes. Closer and closer they went, and...

_They fell._

Bright, purple light, more extravagant than that of the uniform-clad girl's arrow, formed a shining sphere for a split second before revealing the broken-up remains of the youkai, black blood dripping out of each piece, yet never hitting the ground. Like the blood on the faceless one's kimono, it just spread on the black-coated flesh.

Bow in hand, string still vibrating erratically, stood the beautiful robed woman, her wooden zori planted firmly in the dirt beneath them. Blue, cold eyes narrowed at the girl, who stood shaken and shocked. "K-Kikyou?" was the quiet whisper of that same scared girl.

"Do not think that because these enemies were vanquished by my arrow, that I am here to save you," rang the beautiful robed woman's voice. "I could not care less for your life. I only care for that of Inuyasha's." She looked to the body of the black-haired man, who still lie on the ground. "The sense of living youki still remains in the air nearby. **The youki ****of Naraku. **I will get Inuyasha away from them. **You** will stand and fight, if you are as strong as you think you are." Treading slowly, the miko kneeled at the side of the broken man. Kagome made a few feeble steps to them, her sight blurring from the blood still leaking out of her forehead and arm. All she saw out of her half closed eyes before things went dark, was Kikyou grabbing at the robes of Inuyasha, ready to drag him away.

* * *

Eyes opening slowly, but surely, consciousness flooded into his mind. gasps of short breath caught in his throat before his senses snapped inside him again. He saw her. Kneeling beside him, in the dark of the forest surrounding them, was the elegantly robed miko. "K...Kikyou?" The woman nodded slowly. Inuyasha tried to sit up completely, but a sharp, burning pain fired off in his back.

"I would advise you not to move," warned the soft tones of Kikyou.

"What... what happened?"

"I brought you here, after swiftly ending the lives of the demons."

"Wh..." another grunt of pain escaped his lips, "where... is Kagome?"

"Inuyasha, did you sense any life from them?" stated the miko, dodging the question easily and quickly.

"No... Why... Why are you asking?"

"They were dead before you fought them," was the grim response from Kikyou, whose dark blue eyes bore right into the man's gray ones. "Their bodies were manipulated. Could you not sense that?"

"Y..you mean..." yet another grunt of pain sounded softly, as Inuyasha tried to shift to look at Kikyou.

"Kagura," replied the woman calmly.

"Where is Kagome?" Inuyasha repeated, anger snapping into his tone at a slight amount. The miko smiled just a little bit. "The Soul Collectors are leading her home.*"

* * *

Soft feet landed onto the ground near the crumpled body of the bleeding girl. A white feather was between two long fingers that were decorated with dark polish along the nails. Red eyes looked down to the body. "Fools," rang her dark, cold voice as she kneeled near the girl. A growl of anger escaped quietly out of her painted lips. "Stupid wench... She doesn't have them... I'll have to do this the hard way..."

A large feather glided through the air, two figures shadowed by the dark night.

* * *

**A/N: So, how do you feel with THAT bombshell dropped, eh? You didn't expect that twist. I can see it in your eyes. Wait... I can't see you.****... But I can read your mind... WOoOoO!**

**ANNOTATIONS: **

**1. I know, that was rather jerkish act, but, what do you expect? Kikyou doesn't exactly care about Kagome, and I know Kikyou would lie so Inuyasha wouldn't go after her in his state. So, it's a 'for his benefit' thing.**

**Soooooo... That's about it.**

**Puppy-sama OUT!**


End file.
